French Phrase
Je cherche de nouveaux contacts sur le net.
Meaning
The speaker is actively looking for new acquaintances or networking opportunities on the internet. It can refer to personal friendships, professional contacts, or any kind of online connection.
When to use
Use this sentence when you want to tell someone that you are trying to expand your social or professional network online, for example on social media, forums, or professional platforms like LinkedIn.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Jecherchedenouveauxcontactssurlenet
Subject pronoun
‘Je’ is the first‑person singular subject pronoun, placed before the verb.
Verb ‘chercher’ (present)
‘Chercher’ means ‘to look for’; in the present tense it conjugates as ‘je cherche’.
Partitive ‘de’ + adjective + noun
After verbs of searching, French often uses ‘de’ + adjective + noun (e.g., ‘de nouveaux contacts’) instead of the indefinite article ‘des’.
Adjective agreement
‘Nouveaux’ agrees in gender and number with the masculine plural noun ‘contacts’.
Prepositional phrase ‘sur le net’
‘Sur le net’ is an informal way to say ‘on the internet’; ‘sur Internet’ is the more formal equivalent.
🗨In Conversation
Tu cherches des contacts en ligne ?
Are you looking for contacts online?
Oui, je cherche de nouveaux contacts sur le net.
Yes, I’m looking for new contacts on the internet.
✕Common Mistakes
Je cherche des nouveaux contacts sur le net.
After ‘chercher’, the partitive ‘de’ is required when an adjective precedes the noun.
Je cherche de nouveaux contacts sur le internet.
‘Internet’ is a proper noun; the correct preposition is ‘sur Internet’, not ‘sur le internet’. ‘Le net’ is the informal version.
↔Alternatives
Je veux rencontrer de nouvelles personnes sur Internet.
I want to meet new people on the Internet.
Je cherche à élargir mon réseau en ligne.
I’m trying to broaden my online network.
Je suis à la recherche de nouveaux contacts sur le net.
I am in search of new contacts on the net.
Cultural Tip
In everyday French, ‘le net’ is a colloquial shortcut for ‘Internet’. In formal writing or business contexts, prefer ‘Internet’. Also, the word ‘contacts’ is often used in a professional networking sense (e.g., LinkedIn), while ‘rencontrer des gens’ sounds more casual.